Thomas J. West Music

The history of Valentine's Day and Saint Valentine is extremely interesting to me. Such strange obscurity and juxtaposition of ancient pagan festivals, the Catholic Church's attempts to cover up paganism with their own holidays, and even the fact that there were 14 different Saint Valentines all martyred in ancient Rome have led to yet another commericialized celebration involving superficial sentimentality and plenty of processed sugar.

Despite this, Valentine's Day invites us to pause and take time to consider those we love in our lives, particularly those with whom we share the most intimate connections. Those closest to us know us in a way that no one else can, and it is in them that we see our own attachments and limited perceptions reflected back to us.

This performance, from last year's Valentine's Day, is by one of my most favorite performing ensembles, The King's Singers. This prodigious group has been the epitome of technical perfection and expressive close harmony singing for decades. This performance of Gustav Holst's "I Love My Love" shows the sextet as they normally perform - in small venues with no amplification (the microphones are for recording purposes only).

I saw the King's Singers live about 15 years ago and was absolutely stunned by their artistry. Share this video with someone you care about today.

Posted by Thomas J. West on February 14, 2011 at 1:02 PM

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